Potenza’s career at Rutgers spans six decades, starting as an assistant professor of Chemistry in 1968 and culminating with his retirement as professor emeritus in July. He has held multiple positions in the Rutgers administration over the years, including provost and dean of the graduate school, associate provost for academic affairs in the sciences and chairman of the Rutgers Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology.

“Obviously, there have been many changes over the years, the most notable being the evolution of Rutgers into one of the leading state universities in the nation,” Potenza said. “It has been a tremendous time of change and the chemistry program has transitioned into one of the most respected research and undergraduate programs in the country."

Potenza said he is most proud of the students who reach out "and find me 20 or 30 years later to let me know my class helped them launch a successful career."

Potenza has co-authored more than 170 research articles in the areas of boron chemistry, collision mechanics in liquids, x-ray crystallography, and bioinorganic chemistry. He was an Alfred P. Sloan Fellow and has received many other prestigious honors in Chemistry, including the Alexander von Humboldt Senior Scientist Award. As a teacher, he has received three "Outstanding Teacher Awards," including the Susman Award, Rutgers highest teaching honor.

Potenza received a Ph.D. in chemistry from Harvard University in 1967 and a Bachelor of Science in chemistry from the Polytechnic Institute of New York University in 1962. He served as a research physicist and captain in the United States Army for two years. Potenza also served as chairman of the American Chemical Society’s North Jersey section.